Archive for November, 2011

I have just completed the illustrations to a new book. It’s Tyler’s Third Act by Mick Garris.

Mick has been a friend of mine for most of my life. We both got into the film business at roughly the same time. Mick has become a noted screen writer and film director, especially in the horror film genre. His credits include The Shining, The Stand, Sleepwalkers, Psycho IV and Riding the Bullet. He is the creator of the Masters of Horror series for Showtime.

We have been dying to work together as long as we’ve known each other (Mick’s shooting so many of his pics in Canada and our conflicting schedules hampered our best efforts to collaborate). Tyler’s Third Act has finally given us this chance.

The book will be published as a very limited edition by Cemetery Dance Publications (http://www.cemeterydance.com/). As is typical with Cemetery Dance books, this small tome will probably sell out prior to publication.

I’ve designed the covers, endpapers (see above) and have drawn about two dozen new illustrations especially for this book.

Tyler’s Third Act is a chilling tale about Hollywood, the internet and…body parts.

Yesterday was the first of my three days at CTNx (Creative Talent Network Expo), an animation and visual effects trade show in Burbank (for location details, see “Appearances” on this site). It’s a great place for animators and other talents who would like to work in animation (and related fields) to pick up work, get their portfolios evaluated and make important contacts. The show is already a huge success. Every single panel talk is sold out (although certain levels of CTNx membership still allow you access).

I saw lots of great friends there, many of whom I have worked with on various film and television projects; we’re already planning to do more together! That’s one of the things that makes shows like this so fun and important to me. I really enjoyed meeting and talking with the great Bobby Chiu, a terrific artist, instructor and businessperson. As a result of our meeting, we have just begun planning to do some instructional projects together around the world.

This morning I’ll be taping an interview for CTNx; today at noon I’ll be signing books at the Nucleus Gallery booth. On Sunday at 2:30 PM I am on a panel with Terryl Whitlatch and my old friend Jim Gurney. The panel will focus on creature design. I am eager to meet Terryl; I really admire her fine animal drawings.

I hope to see lots of you, dear Journal readers, at the CTN expo both today and tomorrow. If you get a chance, come by my table, pick up some books and prints, get some advice, or just stop by to briefly say “Hi” and chat.

Long time no blog! Not a full Stoutian (as Guillermo Del Toro calls it) blog but a notification about a friend’s project.

In the 1980s my friend Richard Jones produced a series of beloved documentaries on prehistoric life (at least three on dinosaurs and one on prehistoric mammals; the one with the mammals features my wife, then an actress. My kids used to refer to that show as Mommy and the Mammals) that screened on ABC. They starred my pal Gary Owens (the announcer on Laugh-In) and Eric Boardman.

There has been such a groundswell of enthusiasm for a DVD release of these shows that Richard is in the process of doing just that. It takes money, of course, to produce DVDs.

Richard has gone to the film biz’s new funding source, Kickstarter, to raise dough to properly release his docs. All of the shows feature my artwork. They’re great kid shows that include cool stop motion animation by the fabulous Chiodo Brothers.

You can check out the project (and perhaps contribute if you’re so inclined; there are benefits!) at http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dinos/save-dinosaurs-dinosaurs-dinosaurs-from-extinction